Metascore®Mixed or average reviewsbased on a weighted average of allcritic review scores.

38

out of 100

ReelViewsJames Berardinelli

This unexceptional and uninteresting story of a self-pitying borderline-personality teenager verges on being unwatchable as a result of McDonald's decision to bombard the audience with extraneous images in lieu of telling the story.

A failed cinematic experiment mainly notable for its fine starring performance by a pre-"Juno" Ellen Page, The Tracey Fragments provides more evidence (not that any was needed) that an extensive use of split-screen visuals is far more irritating than arresting.

Beyond its overarching aesthetic, The Tracey Fragments co-stars Toronto rockabilly punk Slim Twig as a Tim Burton caricature of Pretty in Pink’s Duckie and boasts a score by Broken Social Scene; it would all swagger dangerously close into hipster-trash territory if not for Page's pathos and wit, honest to blog.

In the hands of a more literal-minded filmmaker The Tracey Fragments might well have been dreary and unbearable, a chronicle of florid self-pity justified by arbitrary cruelty. Instead it is fierce, enigmatic and affecting.

Parents need to know that this disturbing film follows a teenager who runs away from bullying classmates, a dysfunctional homelife, and a tragic accident. The 15-year-old Tracey ends up in the seedy underworld of a big city, populated by pimps, prostitutes, and thugs, who see her as an easy mark. The film opens with Tracey nearly naked, wrapped in a shower curtain in the back of a bus, and a series of flashbacks gradually reveals how she arrived in this difficult situation. The film uses a split-screen technique throughout, presenting multiple perspectives of each scene simultaneously. It's an interesting gimmick, but can be distracting. There are several moments of intense violence, including an attempted rape, mature sexual themes, drinking, smoking, and plenty of cursing. Young fans of Ellen Page expecting a fun follow-up to her hit film Juno should look elsewhere.

Families can talk about Tracey's decision to run away. What is she looking for, and what is she running from? Do you think Tracey's descriptions of some of the events in her life are accurate; is she a reliable narrator? Why do you think she might embellish or falsify some of her stories? Do you think a real teen runaway might encounter similar situations? Are young runaways portrayed differently in other movies and TV shows?

The good stuff

Messages: Tracey is bullied at school, where other kids call her "It," and comment often on the size of her breasts. Her home life is dysfunctional, with a violent father and an emotionally absent mother. Tracey steals money from her mother's purse and runs away in search of her missing younger brother, ending up in a world of cheap bars, pimps, prostitutes, thugs, and assorted other low-lifes, where the vulnerable 15-year-old girl is likely to be victimized.

What to watch for

Violence: A few scenes of intense violence that could be disturbing to kids. A thug beats another man senseless and then tries to rape the teenage Tracey; nearly naked, she fights back with the jagged edge of an open can, leaving the man bleeding profusely as she flees in her underwear. Tracey trashes a phone booth after an unpleasant call. Her father, in a moment of anger, takes off his belt in a practiced manner, making it obvious that he regularly uses it to discipline his children.

Sex: In a pivotal scene, Tracey has sex in a car with a boy who is clearly using her. It's not romantic and there's no nudity. There is also a harrowing near-rape, and a seedy bar scene featuring an aging, nearly nude stripper.

Language: Extremely coarse. "F--k" is used throughout the film, as are a choice variety of other epithets, including "p---y," "s--t," "c--t," and plenty of other words and gestures.

Consumerism: Some scenes show store signs.

Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some characters smoke, including teens and Tracey's mom, who smokes constantly. A few scenes take place in bars, where there is plenty of drinking,

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